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The Expo’s food offerings will include fresh meat products,
pizza, sauces, homemade jellies and jams, ice cream, and gourmet
seasonings all produced, packaged or processed in Illinois.
There will also be non-food items, such as soy candles and
agricultural-based soaps and lotions on display and available
for purchase. A complete list of participating vendors can be
found on the Expo website,
https://www.agr.state.il.us/ marketing/expo/.
Illinois agriculture is more than the crops you see in the
fields. Illinois ranks first in the nation for food processing
sales ($186 billion), and it is one of our state’s top
manufacturing activities. The 2,372 food processing companies in
Illinois supports more than 71,000 jobs.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture Bureau of Marketing,
Promotion and Grants aims to assist small to medium size
Illinois agri-businesses enter the marketplace. This includes
everything grocery store introductions, export assistance, as
well as branding and marketing campaigns like the Buy Illinois
Challenge.
“The Buy Illinois Challenge is a great tool to generate consumer
and business awareness of Illinois-made products,” said Ag
Director Raymond Poe. “Thanks to the popularity of the Illinois
Products Expo, farmers markets, farm-to-plate initiatives and
the emergence of Illinois products in local grocery stores, it
has never been easier for Illinois residents to purchase
products that have been produced, processed, packaged or
manufactured in Illinois.”
The Buy Illinois Challenge asks Illinois households to dedicate
$10 of their existing weekly budget to the purchase of Illinois
products. If each of the 4.7 million Illinois households
dedicated just $10 per week to buy Illinois products, we would
generate an additional $47 million for the Illinois economy each
week. This simple act would provide a tremendous boost to local
Illinois agribusinesses, but also our state economy. To find an
agribusiness near you, or learn more about the Buy Illinois
Challenge, visit our website at https://www.agr.state.il.us/marketing/ilprod/.
The Illinois Products Expo will be open on Saturday, March 4th
from 10:00am-5:00pm and Sunday, March 5th from 10:00am-3:00pm in
the Orr Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Admission is
$5 per person. Children 10 and younger will be admitted free of
charge. While food sampling will be free, the beverage tastings
are offered at a small cost. Five dollars will get you five
tastings and your own wine glass to take home.
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Here are a few of the participating vendors scheduled to attend the
2017 Illinois Products Expo:
- Butch’s Pizza (Morton, IL)
- Country Lights Soy Candles (Leland, IL)
- Creekstone Kettle Works (Raymond, IL)
- Crowridge Farm Ice Cream (Elliott, IL)
- Golden Prairie Popcorn (Nokomis, IL)
- Engrained Brewing Company (Springfield, IL.)
- Eastside Café Pizza (Warrenville, IL)
- Four Score and Seven Ribs Ago BBQ (Chatham, IL)
- Illinois Pork Producers Association (Springfield, IL)
- Hapburgers Signature Seasonings (Orland Park, IL)
- Grandma Cooky (Paxton, IL)
- Jimmy B’s Super Salsa (Springfield, IL)
- Lil Buddies BBQ (Wayne City, IL)
- Jones Boys Market (Ashland, IL)
- J.D. Mullen’s Dressings (Palestine, IL)
- Randolph Packing Co. (Streamwood, IL)
- Reinneck Ranch (Mascoutah, IL)
- Oakland Noodle Company (Oakland, IL)
- Meatsmack (Plainfield, IL)
- Cousins Dog Biscuit Company (Urbana, IL)
- Serious Lip Balm (Springfield, IL)
- Sasse’s Apiary (Chestnut, IL)
- Uncle Joe’s Sauces (Ina, IL)
- Homestead Bakery (Arthur, IL)
- Two Fat Guys Gourmet Sauces (McHenry, IL)
- Toohill Seed & Beef Services (Clinton, IL)
- Zillion’s Chili (Springfield, IL)
- Turasky Meats (Springfield, IL)
More Illinois food companies are expected to join this
growing list in the days leading up to the Expo. If an Illinois
food company would like to learn more about participating in the
Illinois Products Expo or any of the other programs offered by
the Illinois Department of Agriculture, they can contact the
Illinois Department of Agriculture Bureau of Marketing,
Promotion and Grants at (217) 782-2581.
[Illinois Department of Agriculture] |
